Historic Buildings and Sites

News about Historic Buildings and Sites, including commentary and archival articles published in The New York Times.

Chronology of Coverage

Jul. 31, 2015

Eve M Kahn Antiques column; role that women’s genealogical lineage societies, including Daughters of the American Revolution and Colonial Dames of America, had played in preservation of historic homes and grounds is being examined by current administrators as they plan renovations. MORE

Jul. 28, 2015

MCR Development proposes $250 million plan to turn Trans World Airlines Flight Center at Kennedy International Airport, which opened in 1962 and closed in 2001, into hotel; building is safeguarded by landmark designation and is maintained by Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. MORE

Jul. 25, 2015

Chefs Mario Carbone and Rich Torrisi and their business partner Jeff Zalaznick say they have signed contract with Seagram Building owner Aby J Rosen to take over Four Seasons restaurant; four men say they plan to return iconic Midtown Manhattan space to glory and do not intend to dismantle or alter rooms that have been awarded landmark status and thus are protected. MORE

Jul. 19, 2015

Flood in Cache, Okla, opens up dialogue about how to save crumbling Star House, 1890 home of Comanche Nation's renowned last chief Quanah Parker; owner Wayne Gipson has refused to sell tourist attraction, but damage from deluge is forcing him to discuss how to save building with tribal leaders and Parker's descendants. MORE

Jul. 14, 2015

Greenwich Village gay bar Stonewall Inn has made headlines for being national historic landmark and receiving designation of official landmark protected by New York City, but for locals and regulars it is simply a place to meet for cocktails. MORE

Jul. 12, 2015

Officials in popular destinations around the world are considering new laws to control destructive behavior of tourists who are indulging in reckless antics at historic sites and vacation spots in effort to impress their friends on social media. MORE

Jul. 10, 2015

National Park Service has planned lavish ceremony for reopening of Sagamore Hill National Historic Site, family home of former Pres Theodore Roosevelt, after $10 million restoration. MORE

Jul. 7, 2015

Theft of plaque marking birthplace of 19th-century photojournalist Matthew B Brady in Adirondack town of Johnsburg, NY, has baffled police and angered many residents; Brady is known for capturing horrors of Civil War battlefields, as well as iconic images of Pres Abraham Lincoln. MORE

Jul. 2, 2015

Murals by landscape artist Thomas Cole are discovered under layers of paint on walls of house at Thomas Cole National Historic Site in Catskill, NY; conservators are seeking federal grants to uncover and preserve them. MORE

Jun. 30, 2015

Appraisal column; New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission votes unanimously to exclude 21 buildings on Broadway between 89th and 109th Streets from expansion of Riverside-West End Historic District. MORE

Jun. 28, 2015

Grove Street Cemetery in New Haven, Conn, is one of oldest operating burial grounds in United States, and the nation's first planned cemetery; hundreds of notable figures are interred at Grove Street, which was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1997 (Metropolitan/Connecticut). MORE

Jun. 28, 2015

Ginia Bellafante Big City column examines unanimous vote by New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission to grant landmark status to Greenwich Village bar Stonewall Inn; cautions decision to preserve historic site, known for its role in national gay rights movement, is not a guarantee of full salvation; while structure can no longer be significantly modified, owner of building is not prohibited from leasing it in future to a different tenant, including a retail chain. MORE

Jun. 25, 2015

National Trust for Historic Preservation places Manhattan's South Street Seaport on list of most endangered historic places in America; cites threat posed by series of development proposals, including high-rise condominium tower, that will alter character of one of most intact 19th-century neighborhoods in city. MORE

Jun. 25, 2015

Michael Kimmelman Critic's Notebook remarks on value of preservation in light of recent decision by South Korean tech company LG to change design of its planned headquarters building in Englewood Cliffs, NJ, and preserve views of Palisades cliffs. MORE

Jun. 24, 2015

Jim Dwyer About New York column discusses controversial plan by South Korean conglomerate LG to build high-rise that would change horizon of New Jersey's Palisades cliffs and company's recent concession to reduce building's height. MORE

Jun. 24, 2015

Proposed mixed-use development at the McMillan Sand Filtration Site in Washington, DC, has divided residents; proponents say project would bring much-needed jobs and housing to neighborhood, but others say it would destroy scenery that is on National Register of Historic Places. MORE

Jun. 21, 2015

Israel Crane House and Historic YWCA in Montclair, NJ, and T Thomas Fortune House in Red Bank, NJ, two sites with historic significance for black community, are both on National Register of Historic places; while Israel Crane House has been fully restored and is open to visitors, T Thomas Fortune House sits vacant in state of disrepair. MORE

Jun. 16, 2015

Dunhuang Journal; preservationists and scholars at China's Dunhuang Research Academy speak out against plan to bring more tourism to Mogao Caves, United Nations World Heritage Site in Gobi Desert; say site is already overburdened with visitors and that proposal by Gansu Province officials and Beijing company Boya Strategy Consultation Group, which includes theme park and hotels, would threaten ancient Buddhist treasures. MORE

Jun. 13, 2015

Irina Bokova, director general of United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, condemns destruction of 2,500-year-old cultural heritage site in Sana, Yemen, which was rocked by explosion from unspecified source, as well as deaths caused; witnesses and news reports say explosion was caused by bomb or missile from Saudi plane, which Saudi military denies. MORE

Jun. 11, 2015

David W Dunlap Building Blocks column traces history of Manhattan's Brotherhood House, structure that gained national recognition as home of Parsons School of Design and hit reality television show Project Runway; observes that building, now slated for demolition, was a crucible of social advocacy in the 1960s. MORE

Jun. 7, 2015

Construction boom in Midtown Manhattan, due in part to rising prices and rezoning, threatens many historic buildings that are beautiful and loved by community but lack landmark status. MORE

Jun. 7, 2015

Op-Ed article by Sarah Boxer laments plans to tear down and rebuild Hotel Okura in Tokyo, iconic building that blends both Modernist and Japanese elements. MORE

Jun. 1, 2015

Diriyah Journal; Saudi Arabia royal family is building tourist attraction in Diriyah to celebrate its history and alliance with 18th-century fundamentalist preacher Sheikh Muhammad ibn Abdul-Wahhab, which helped create modern Saudi state; project, which will feature parks, restaurants and museums, is intended to help rehabilitate reputation of Abdul-Wahhab, whose rigid version of Islam has been criticized of late for promoting intolerance. MORE

May. 30, 2015

New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission is set to vote on adding buildings that contain Stonewall Inn in Greenwich Village, site of 1969 raid where many believe to be birthplace of gay rights movement, to its calender; step all but guarantees site's eventual designation as a landmark, making Stonewall Inn the first landmark specifically honored for its place in city's gay culture. MORE

May. 28, 2015

Historic Germania Bank building in SoHo provides unique backdrop for group art exhibition First Show/Last Show organized by Vito Schnabel. MORE

May. 27, 2015

Sons of Israel synagogue in South Bend, Ind, has been repurposed as souvenir shop for South Bend Cubs, Class A team of the Chicago Cubs; 114-year-old building, which had not been used by congregation since 1991, is owned by city and was restored with help of team owner Andrew Berlin; transformation has sparked debate among jews and preservationists in community. MORE

May. 21, 2015

Syrian government and preservationists around world express alarm as Islamic State militants, known for destruction of artifacts and antiquities, arrive in Palmyra; city is particularly rich in artifacts important to cultural and archaeological history of ancient Middle East. MORE

May. 21, 2015

Plan by Narconon, drug-treatment program with ties to Church of Scientology, to convert cluster of rustic cabins in Frederick County, Md, into group home has drawn opposition from community; conversion plan can proceed if cabins, in area known as Trout Run, are added to local list of historic places, prompting some to take unusual step of arguing against designation. MORE

May. 21, 2015

David Dunlap Building Blocks column examines history of the Soldiers and Sailors' Monument in Riverside Park, site of Memorial Day gatherings in New York City since 1902; observes that conservators hope to raise money to study monument's structural condition by offering rare guided tours of its interior; describes decay that has affected inside of long-neglected structure. MORE

May. 20, 2015

New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission rejects plan by Seagram Building owner Aby J Rosen to alter interior of Four Seasons restaurant, which was designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Philip Johnson in 1958 and designated landmark in 1989; Four Seasons lease is set to expire and restaurant is actively looking for new home. MORE

May. 10, 2015

The Upshot; Michael Beschloss Historysource column recalls extensive renovations of the White House undertaken by Pres Harry S Truman in 1948, when building was threatening to collapse due to structural weakness; observes that as a result, many of the building's most famous 'historic' rooms are in fact facsimiles of their originals. MORE

May. 10, 2015

FYI column answers question about remnants of pre-revolutionary Village of Flatbush in Brooklyn. MORE

May. 7, 2015

Some architects and preservationists are protesting proposal by Seagram Building owner Aby J Rosen to alter its landmark Four Seasons restaurant, arguing that any changes will ruin historic interior. MORE

May. 5, 2015

Mausoleum of Cheick Amadou Barry, proposed United Nations World Heritage site in Mali, is destroyed by jihadists who leave warning that they will attack anyone who does not follow their version of Islam. MORE

Apr. 30, 2015

Hue Journal; economic boom transforming Vietnamese city of Hue is threatening its historic remains and architectural legacy as freeways, resorts and apartment towers are built; development may prove more damaging than long-sustained threats from humid weather and war. MORE

Apr. 30, 2015

David W Dunlap Building Blocks column examines planned $27 million upgrade to the Bush Tower in Midtown Manhattan, which should restore building's three Gothic arches; reviews building's history. MORE

Apr. 29, 2015

Officials in Nepal are taking steps to prevent looting of artifacts and pieces from historic sites damaged in massive earthquake, concern largely ignored in first days after disaster because of urgent need to rescue survivors; delay in addressing preservation of centuries-old sites has led to sense of helplessness in face of devastation, reducing chances that one of largest clusters of cultural heritage sites in world can be rebuilt. MORE

Apr. 24, 2015

Museum of the City of New York exhibition Saving Place: 50 Years of New York City Landmarks illuminates history of city's architectural preservation movement in light of 50th anniversary of landmarks preservation law. MORE

Apr. 18, 2015

Editorial holds that New York City's 1965 landmarks preservation law, which has seen many successes at its 50th anniversary, is not being used aggressively enough; questions how Mayor Bill de Blasio and landmarks chairwoman Meenakshi Srinivasan will balance need for rapid construction of affordable housing with responsibility for preserving city's architectural legacy; contends that delicate balance, while difficult to maintain, is essential. MORE

Apr. 17, 2015

NYC Landmarks50 Alliance, confederation of historic preservationists and preservation groups, hosts party at the Four Seasons to commemorate 50th anniversary of city's landmarks law. MORE

Apr. 16, 2015

David W Dunlap Building Blocks column examines history of Brooklyn's Paramount Theater, which will be renovated to host concerts, plays and sporting events; observes that theater, completed in 1928, has served as both a Jazz Age movie palace and a gymnasium for Long Island University; notes that it also boasts an intact orchestral Wurlitzer organ. MORE

Apr. 15, 2015

Luciano Faggiano's home repair project in Lecce, Italy, uncovered subterranean world dating back before birth of Jesus, including tomb, granary, chapel and etchings from Knights Templar; his trattoria has become museum where relics continue to be unearthed; ancient discoveries can pose problem for urban planning. MORE

Apr. 14, 2015

The Appraisal column; Ferrigno House in Broadway-Flushing neighborhood in Queens is up for sale, and any major work, inside or out, completed by future buyer must not only be approved by New York City but also by seller--National Trust for Historic Preservation. MORE

Apr. 12, 2015

Preservationists and residents mourn destruction of Renaissance Theater and Casino in Harlem, subject of December 21, 2014, Metropolitan article about efforts to preserve the structure; effort to save building ended on March 30, when new owners began demolition. MORE

Apr. 12, 2015

Upper West Side historic townhouse, unusually wide at 25 feet and boasting neo-Georgian facade with balconies and gargoyles, enters the market for the first time in two decades at $11.9 million. MORE

Apr. 12, 2015

Jennifer Moses travel article on trip to Louisiana to trace roots of several famous writers who come from there. MORE

Apr. 6, 2015

Istanbul Journal; Palazzo Corpi, Italianate mansion in Istanbul that was once seat of American diplomacy and espionage there, has become home to outpost of private club empire Soho House; American operatives were forced to vacate structure in 2003 for more secure grounds due to rising threat of terrorism, leaving behind a more innocent era of diplomacy. MORE

Apr. 6, 2015

Thousands of visitors travel to Trinity Site on White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico, which is opened to public around two times a year; site of detonation of first atomic bomb is an increasingly popular tourist destination as 70th anniversary of test approaches. MORE